Rice and sushi cravings: a preliminary study of food craving among Japanese females.

The aim of the present study was to develop a preliminary version of the Food Craving Inventory for Japanese (FCI-J) and to investigate the phenomenon of food craving among Japanese females. One hundred and eighty-five female college students completed newly developed FCI-J. Factor analysis yielded conceptual factors that were interpreted as sweets, snacks, western foods, sushi, and rice. Test-retest and internal consistency analyses indicated a good reliability for both total score and score of subscales. In addition, results showed that the FCI-J has a good content, concurrent, construct, and discriminant validity. It is noteworthy that "rice craving" may be characteristic among Asian rice consuming countries, and that there are considerable "sushi cravers" in Japan. These findings suggested that the craving for some kind of food is influenced by the tradition of food products and cultures.